


How We Learn and Grow

by Moomo



Series: Heliconia [3]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Coming Out, F/F, F/M, Sister-Sister Relationship, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-23
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-09-01 15:49:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8630182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moomo/pseuds/Moomo
Summary: Elise has always found comfort and guidance in her older sister's words.





	

Elise stands outside of Camilla’s room, wringing her hands together nervously. Logically, Elise knows that she has nothing to fear. Camilla is the most loving sister a girl could hope for, and anyways, she was so supportive with Azura and Corrin. Why would Elise be any different?

 

“I can see your shadow Elise dear,” Camilla calls out. Elise jumps a little; she forgets that the paper walls of Hoshido do very little for privacy on well-lit days. “Come in all ready!”

 

Elise pulls the screen door open, slinks into her sister’s room, and pulls the door shut again. Camilla is rocking in her Nohrian cherry wood rocking chair, baby Shiro resting in her arms and nursing greedily.

 

“Oh wow,” Elise gasps, her personal turmoil forgotten. “He’s such a big boy for his age.”

 

“Well that’s because he never stops eating,” Camilla complains good naturedly. “I can’t even set Shiro down without a fuss.”

 

“You or Shiro?” Elise teases her sister a little. Camilla’s separation anxiety had been apparent from the moment she first held Shiro. She could hardly bare to be parted from her son even for the shortest periods of time.

 

Camilla only hums a little in dismissal. Elise furrows her brow a little at that. “Seriously big sister, at least tell me he’s sleeping by himself now.”

 

Camilla only hums, neither affirmative or denying. Elise groans. “Big sister! It’s dangerous to sleep with babies; you or Ryoma could roll over and crush poor Shiro! He’s already seven months old! Shiro should be sleeping fine through the night now in his own cradle!”

 

Shiro finishes nursing and wriggles around happily. Camilla smiles at her son as she fixes her clothing and then settling Shiro against her shoulder. Rubbing Shiro’s back in firm circles, Camilla turns her attentions to Elise. “Oh I don’t know if I could bare to be away from him through the night. What if he wakes up, sees that I’m not there and then cries? I don’t ever want Shiro to feel abandoned or lonely!”

 

“Fine, put the cradle right beside your head. That way Shiro is within arms-reach, and out of the crushing zone,” Elise bargains.

 

Shiro lets out a mighty burp, and Camilla giggles. “Well it looks like Shiro agrees, so we’ll test it out.”

 

Elise grins, not expecting Camilla to give in so easily. Camilla rocks Shiro to sleep in her arms before turning her full attention to her little sister. “Now I know you didn’t spend all that time outside of my room fidgeting because of Shiro’s sleeping arrangements. Now tell your big sister all about whatever’s troubling you.”

 

And just like that, anxiety floods every little bit of Elise’s body.

 

“Umm, I think that…well I,” Elise fumbles her words. “Sakura is my friend, and I’m having a great time these days visiting her but I, I-how do I put this? I think-”

 

“You have a crush on Sakura,” Camilla supplies, putting her sister out of her misery.

 

“How did you know?” Elise blurts out, wide eyed and shocked.

 

Instead of answering, Camilla walks over to her bed and sets the now sleeping Shiro down before pulling her youngest sister into her arms.

 

“A sister just knows these things,” Camilla whispers into Elise’s hair. “Now why are you so nervous? You must know that Xander, Leo, Azura, Corrin, and I wouldn’t make such a fuss about who you happen to love. Especially not Azura and Corrin considering the fact that they’re the married co-queens of Valla!”

 

Elise gulps as Camilla leads them to her little sitting table for tea. The majority of the room is Nohrian design from the four-poster bed to the rocking chair to the table. “Now tell your big sister what’s wrong.”  

 

“I’m scared,” Elise breathes out, settling into her chair. “I don’t even know if Sakura is _capable_ of feeling for me. And even if she was, I don’t know how Hoshidians would react to their princess being with another woman and a Nohrian woman no less!”

 

Camilla runs her teeth over her lips a little as she sits. Life was no cakewalk in Hoshido. The nobility in the courts whispered most malicious things about her, and the commoners regarded her with a mixture of fear and disdain. But looking at the wide and scared, but innocent eyes of her baby sister, Camilla bites her tongue against the truth.

 

“Let me tell you a secret Elise,” Camilla whispers, taking a quick scan of her surroundings before leaning in close to Elise’s curious face. “I was with Hinoka for a brief period of time during the war.”

 

“WHAT?” Elise shrieks before Camilla frantically shushes her, looking over her shoulder at the still sleeping Shiro. Prior to Corrin and Azura’s coming out, Elise had never really bothered to think of her siblings as sexual beings who might one day marry and spawn (in fact Elise still didn’t think Xander or Leo were capable of having remotely romantic feelings for anyone). And while the shock wore off, Elise rationalized that this little revelation wasn’t all that unexpected. Camilla had always been free with her love, and she had never discriminated between men and women when it came down to it.

 

“So why did you break up?” Elise asks.

 

“Irreconcilable differences,” Camilla sighs. “But both of us being women had nothing to do with it. While Hoshido may not be as open about these relationships as Valla or even Nohr is, they’re not unheard of, and they’re certainly nothing to be ashamed of.”

 

“Does Ryoma know?” Elise presses.

 

“Ryoma knows that I’ve been with both men and women, but I have never told him about my relations with Hinoka. I have no idea if Hinoka has informed him, but he’s never brought it up with me.”

 

“Isn’t is awkward living in the same castle as Hinoka now that you’ve married her brother?”

 

Camilla laughs out loud at that question. “Not at all! While Hinoka and I ended on less than admirable terms, we’re both mature adults, and time and space gave us both enough time to heal and move on. We’re the dearest of friends and sisters now.”

 

Elise takes some time to ponder and digest this new information.

 

“So dear Elise, if you’re worried about how others in Hoshido will perceive you, don’t,” Camilla advises while running her fingers over Elise’s hair. “And if anyone dares say anything against you, I’ll hunt them down.”

 

“Niles said the same thing!” Elise giggles.

 

“What?” Camilla deadpans, withdrawing her hand.

 

“Well, when I first started feeling this way in Nohr, you had already moved to Hoshido and big sister Corrin and big sister Azura were in Valla and I’d rather eat my own foot than talk to Xander or Leo about this stuff so-”

 

“So you talked to Niles, of all people, instead,” Camilla groans.

 

“Hey,” Elise interjects. “Niles is my friend, and he was really supportive and understanding. He told me that ‘it doesn’t matter who you bone squirt! Just so long as you do it safely and with consent’ and other good stuff like that!”

 

“I would prefer that you refrain from using such language,” Camilla scolds. “You’re my baby sister, and I have no desire to think of you ‘boning’ with anyone.

 

“Well, Corrin and Azura boned and made Shigure,” Elise giggles, teasing her sister. “And you boned both Ryoma and Hinoka!”

 

“I want Niles flogged,” Camilla states dryly. “I’ll write to Leo immediately.”

 

“He’ll probably like that,” Elise mentions off-hand.

 

“And now I want him hanged; no one corrupts my baby sister like this!”

 

Elise giggles and reaches out to take Camilla’s hand in her own. “Thank you for the advice big sister. I think I know what to do with Sakura now.”

 

Smiling, Camilla reaches over the table and pulls her sister into a hug. “No matter what happens, know that your family will always be here for you, and I will _always_ love you. Best of luck Elise, Sakura would be incredibly blessed to have a girlfriend at caring, sweet, and gentle as yourself.”

 

Elise pulls away smiling, before excusing herself and dashing out the door. Camilla is once again left alone with little Shiro. Sighing, Camilla settles on the bed besides her son, determined to enjoy one final nap before setting up the cradle like she promised.

**Author's Note:**

> Sakura totally said yes by the way. Elise and Sakura is the cutest pairing in Fates.
> 
> Prior to this, the last thing I wrote was and 8000 word review for a class on growth and carcass quality in meat animals. Writing small lesbians was a good change in pace.


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